1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to document processing and, more particularly, the tracking and monitoring of processed documents.
2. Description of the Related Art
Organizations, whether private or public, generate, collect and share a multitude of documents containing data and information relevant to their business operations every day, and oftentimes many of such documents contain information that is proprietary and confidential in nature. In many cases, confidentiality is vital to the success of the organization. For example, preserving the confidentiality of certain governmental documents is critical to national security, and preserving the confidentiality of corporate documents is key to maintaining trade secrets. Thus, the unauthorized disclosure of confidential documents may result in unwanted and unwelcome effects.
One device that has the potential to be used as an instrumentality in the unauthorized disclosure of information in hard copy or electronic form is a multi-function printing device. Printed copies of various documents can be a rich source of sensitive information when procured by scrupulous or malicious individuals or entities. In some instances, paper documents that are scanned, printed or copied may be distributed by various means, such as electronically or in-person delivery, without proper authorization. In other instances, paper documents containing sensitive information are kept in use long after their retention periods have elapsed, and as a result, are either forgotten or disposed of in a non-secure manner, if they are even disposed of at all. Such sensitive documents pose a security issue for any organization.
Based upon the foregoing, there is a need for an improved approach to securely handling printed documents.